Richard o neil



* iinitrt $121125 haunt cum.

RICHARD ONEIL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

letters Patent No. 113,331. dated April 4, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN ORNAMENTING THE SURFACE OF METALS BY ELECTRO-DEPOSITIONS FROM SOLUTIONS. I

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making in of the name.

To all whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that-I, Brennan ONEIL, of the city, county, and State ofl l'ew York, have inveigped a new and improved Process of Ornamenting the nrfaces of Metals with other Metals; and'I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of thc same.

' This inventionconsistsin paintingou metals, with salts or solutions of salts of other metals, with a pencil which is in metallic connection with one pole of a galvanic battery, the other pole of which is in gal-' .vanic connection with the metal to be operated upon,

thereby causingor producing a deposit or plating upon the metal last mentioned of the metal with the salt or solution of the salt of which the pencil is charged, by the closing of the galvanic circuit by means of the contact of the pencil with the metal to be operated upon.

'The pencil employedinay consist of a pointed stick of wood or: other suitable material, and be dipped in a solution ofia salt of the metal to be deposited, or be dipped-first in water or in a menstruuin of sugar or gum arabic and water, and afterward in the metallic salt, before tracing with it upon the metal to be operated upon the figure or design to be produced thereon in the metal the salt of which is used.

.In case the pencil is of material .which is a non-condoctor of electricity the wire connecting it with the pole of the battery should be attached to it near the point, and atthe connection the pencil should, of whatever material the pencil is composed, have wrapped round it a piece of ioilor thin plate of the metal which. is to bedeposited. Or the pencil may consist of a tube of bone, metal, or other material having .a suitable point, and filled with the salt of the metal to he deposited, and in such case will require to be dipped in water or in; a menstruum of water and sugar or gum arable before and fromtime to time during its use,

and the interior of the tube should be lined near the point with the metal of the same kind which is who deposited. Or the salt itself may he made into a penoil. or put up like the lead of alead-pencil, in a wooden V case or shell, and have its point moistened before and from time to time during its use.

The salts which] propose generally to usearethe' cyanides of the metals. For a solution 'for a gold deposit or plating I use generally two (2) parts, by weight, of cyanide of gold,

and one (1) part of sugar.

Fora solnticnfo'r a silver deposit I use generally} I.

one (1) part,v by weight, ofcyanide of silver, and one (1) part of sugar. I

For a solution fora copper. deposit I use generally two (2) parts, by weight, of cyanide of copper, and one (1) part of sugar. I

The solutions should be of such strength or density that they will flow. with snliicient freedom.

Gum arahic or other adhesive or binding material may be substituted for sugar.

By this process very beautiful effects may be. produced by plating the surface of any metal in figures ordesigns with another metal, which is deposited by galvanic action on the metallic salts used.

Figures. may be produced in one metal and these figures may be afterward shaded with lines of another metal. i p

The process will be expedited by keeping the plate or other metallic article to he ornamented by plating with another metal heated by a spirit-lamp or otherwise to as high a temperature as will not interfer with its being conveniently handled.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- H The within-described process of producing a deposit or platingoiinietal upon the surface of another metal by painting the latter with a salt or solution of a-salt of the metal,to be deposited by means of a pencil which isin metallic connection with a galvanic battery, the other pole of which is in galvanic connection 

